'Knock the crap out of them...': Trump hints at the possibility of Israel resuming Gaza war if Hamas...

'Knock the crap out of them...': Trump hints at the possibility of Israel resuming Gaza war if Hamas...

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Photograph: (Reuters)

Story highlights

Trump warns Israel will resume Gaza operations if Hamas violates the hostage deal. He claims Israel is holding back “because of him” and stresses the priority of honouring the US-brokered ceasefire deal 

US President Donald Trump has stated that Israel will resume military operations in Gaza if Hamas fails to honour the recently signed hostage agreement. Trump's statement comes after Israel claimed that one of the bodies returned by Hamas is not one of the hostages, even as Hamas claimed that has returned all bodies it had and needs time to recover the rest of the deceased from the ruins of Gaza. Warning Hamas about the possibility of Israel's return, the US president said that Israel is all ready to “knock the crap out of them” but they are holding back because of him. He pressed Hamas to honour the US-brokered ceasefire deal with Israel.

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In a telephonic interview with CNN, Trump said that Israeli forces were ready to re-enter Gaza and act decisively once he gives the signal. Trump acknowledged that while most bodies of deceased hostages remain unreleased by Hamas, securing the release of 20 living hostages was the top priority. “Israel will return to those [Gaza] streets as soon as I say the word…If Israel could go in and knock the crap out of them, they’d do that.” Regarding the ceasefire deal, Trump revealed he had to persuade Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold back from escalating the war. He also highlighted the international support for the agreement, noting increased interest in the Abraham Accords. “I had to hold them back… I had it out with Bibi," he said.

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The US president also addressed Hamas’s harsh crackdown within Gaza, where the group has executed individuals it accuses of collaborating with Israel. Trump suggested this internal violence involves clearing out criminal gangs but admitted he was still gathering information on whether innocent civilians were affected. A shocking footage that has surfaced appears to be showing Hamas executing Palestinians accused of collaborating with Israel. The video, which WION cannot independently verify, shows at least eight bound men kneeling before gunfire erupts as onlookers and label them “collaborators.” Report suggest that Sahm security force, run by Hamas, shared the footage.

Read More | Hamas executes Palestinians accused of collaborating with Israel in broad daylight

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Navashree Nandini works as a senior sub-editor and has over five years of experience. She writes about global conflicts ranging from India and its neighbourhood to West Asia to the...Read More